412 [Proc. B.N.F.C., 



hope to find evidence of man's handiwork in an interglacial 

 formation in Ireland. As regards the formation, then, I believe 

 there is no reason why it should not produce worked flints, but 

 what reason is there for regarding a bulb on a flake as a sign of 

 its artificial origin ? Well, I would answer that the bulb is net 

 a necessary accompaniment of the natural fracture of flint. If 

 a flint stone, after long exposure to the weather, splits naturally, 

 it will be found that it breaks up like any other rock into pieces 

 of irregular form without bulbs, while any smooth-grained rock 

 as well as flint will show a bulb if the fracture is caused by a 

 blow. The reason of this is that a blow sets up a series of 

 waves in the stone, radiating from the point of impact, and when 

 the fracture takes place it has the circular form of the waves. 

 Even stones of a pretty coarse texture show a bulb at the place 

 where a hammer struck. But it may be said that man is not 

 the only agent which can produce a blow. A stone dropping 

 from a high cliff has been given as an example. It might fall on 

 another stone and fracture it, producing a bulb, or the waves of 

 the sea may dash one stone against another, and produce a 

 flake with a bulb. I think we may dismiss the cliff theory as 

 not likely to produce a very large supply, and if anyone makes 

 careful observation round our shores where flint stones are 

 abundant, he will, I believe, find very few fresh flakes knocked 

 off by the agency of the waves. Even after a storm, I question 

 if he could produce one newly-formed flake after the most 

 diligent search, though that some are knocked off I am perfectly 

 aware, as I have some stones which show the marks where small 

 flakes or chips have been separated. But these are very few, 

 the tendency of the waves of the sea being not to knock off 

 large chips, but very minute ones, and, by rolling the stones 

 against each other, round them into somewhat globular forms. 

 It may be remarked that the rudeness of the objects I have 

 exhibited is against their artificial character, but I have seen 

 many undoubted artificial flakes and cores as rude as these. It 

 must also be remembered that the palaeolithic implement, which 

 is generally recognised as man's earliest handiwork, is an object 



